Completing its inaugural year, West Elementary will promote its first class of fifth-graders as the 2009-10 District 11 school year comes to an end over the next two
weeks.
The last day for all D-11 elementary schools will be May 21, while the middle and high schools will finish up May 26.
Overall on the Westside, a total of about 940 students - depending on final grade points at the two middle and two high schools - will move on from 5th, 8th and 12th
grades, according to figures from the schools (compared to about 880 last year).

Jackson Elementary music teacher Erik Miller directed a spring performance of instrumental music and dance May 12 in the school gym.
In all, about 100 students in grades 2-5 participated.

Westside Pioneer photo

This was the first year after the closures of Pike, Whittier and Washington elementaries, chiefly for financial reasons. Through new or amended attendance areas, the
students at those schools were dispersed to the West, Bristol, Howbert, Jackson and/or Midland elementaries, resulting in those schools having somewhat higher fifth-
grade classes than last year. By contrast, Buena Vista Elementary is slightly smaller this year because it consists only of Montessori students (the non-Montessori
students were assigned to West Elementary).
Each of the schools will have promotional/graduation ceremonies. Those dates and times appear below, followed by the student numbers (last year's is in
parentheses). Except where noted, all ceremonies will be at the respective schools.

Bristol Elementary, May 21 at 1 p.m., 33 students (28).

Buena Vista Elementary, May 18 at 6:30 p.m., 17 students (26).

Howbert Elementary, May 20 at 9 a.m., 54 students (41).

Jackson Elementary, May 20 at noon, 52 students (34) - part of an all-school barbecue in neighboring Jackson Park.